Day 42: Main Street [evening]

[high_prosecutor]

The sun was starting to set, and it was with a heavy sigh that Edgeworth stepped out of Twin Pines and out onto the street. The tea had helped, but there was still a sense of worry that he couldn't shake. There was, of course, the entire situation with Franziska, but now both Javert and this new person calling themselves 'Justice' were in the

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[blood_and_pocky]

Aidou was far less ecstatic to be caught on the move; Michael had been one thing, but this was quite another. He didn’t bother disguising the fact that he was on his way somewhere--anywhere, rather than standing around in one spot, anywhere he hadn’t already been. Easy to shake off company that way.

“Mm,” he agreed, gaze flicking over the small figure as though he hadn’t been completely aware of her approach. “Hello,” the noble said, lifting his hand in a gesture of greeting. “You know, it’s been the usual. Glad to see you‘re still around in one piece, yourself.” Then he stepped off the sidewalk, continuing on his way, and turning the wave into a wave of farewell. It wasn’t strange to have places to be, or people to see. Most people could surmise he was the type to stay busy. “Let’s catch up later. I’ll tell you all about it.”

Not.

Anise was for free time, and short of little moments on the bulletin board, what ‘free time’ he had was getting squeezed out of existence. That, and the strain brought on impatience, mostly geared towards others.

[gald_digger]

Wait a minute... Was he trying to blow her off!?

Oh, no he didn't! Not while Anise had something to say about it. The girl stood for a moment, looking rather miffed as she shot a glare at Aidou's back. Before he could get too far, the girl started walking too, catching up in no time and slowing to match his pace once she was next to him. The glare was gone now, of course, replaced with an oblivious smile.

"Hmm? Where are you going?" she asked innocently, pretending she hadn't gotten the hint. With him trying to hurry off like that, the nosy side of Anise just couldn't let him go without at least finding out what he was up to.

[blood_and_pocky]

Having his footsteps dogged was a typical experience, given who and what he was, but there were times during when he didn’t miss the attention. Like now. Aidou didn’t think he could produce--or wanted to produce--small talk like he had the last time she’d bounced up to him.

He was already wearing one intolerable get-up, putting on a flirty face would be the second, and that would take effort he didn’t feel like expending. The noble glanced down at her. His strides were long, but she didn’t have any notable leg wounds to keep her from trotting alongside him. Why didn’t he ever cross paths with this girl when she was similarly distracted?

But then, she seemed to find a reason in trying to keep up a happy face through thick and thin. Human or not, he doubted she’d miss how he was feeding her nearly the same vague answers.

Aidou ran a hand deep through his hair, until he could curl his fingers around the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit preoccupied right now,” he said in lieu of an answer, and if he let the truth of it leak into his voice, then the sugar-coated response was more believable than anything else he could have said. And maybe she wouldn’t turn a blind eye on his desire to ditch her as peacefully as he had Chihaya.

[gald_digger]

Geh. Looked like he wasn't giving in so easily.

It looked like something serious was on his mind, which was pretty normal for anyone at Landel's. What was a little less normal was his trying to ditch her. Even the most serious people Anise knew at least tolerated her company, and while Aidou was being outwardly friendly, it was easy to see he was trying to get rid of her.

But Anise wasn't going to give in so easily, either.

She knew that continuing to push cheerfully was probably going to wear his patience down fast, so she tried to change her tune a little. "If something's bothering you, maybe talking about it would help," she suggested in a softer voice. Maybe a more demure, passive approach would be better, even if it was a little less natural for Anise to pull off. If he kept shoving her away, maybe she could even muster up some fake tears.

[blood_and_pocky]

“No… no, nothing like that,” he said simply, eyes on the path ahead.

If only it were that simply, but it never was, not with a human. He didn’t need a confession, anyway. He wasn’t upset, or angry, or in pain. At least not any one of those things in a quantity greater than the others.

“Just busy.”

Unless Anise had some great clue to drop in his lap, talking about types and romance with her wasn’t going to help.

[gald_digger]

It didn't look like he was too willing to open up about whatever he was up to, but Anise kept the passive approach going. At least using that, it would be harder for him to tell her to get lost without looking like the bad guy.

"Busy?" She tilted her head, curiously. What was there to be busy with in Doyleton, especially on their third trip? Maybe he was meeting someone, but if that were the case, wouldn't he just say so? "You mean you found something worthwhile to do around here?" If he did, she wanted to know all about it. Anise had given up on finding useful things or places at Doyleton after her first visit.

Although, there was a chance that he was just saying whatever he could to get her to back off.

[blood_and_pocky]

The vampire cut a glance at her from beneath the shadow caused by his forearm before he returned his hand to his side. He didn’t expect people to personally care about his desires--and when other prisoners did exhibit signs of wanting to get emotionally cuddly, it was something to be avoided--but respecting his desires was a different thing entirely.

Physically keeping her from following him wasn’t exactly a plan, but it wasn’t an impossibility, either.

“That remains to be seen,” he replied. Unhelpfully so. If he was seemingly only busy in his head, that didn’t make it any less important.

Although he was headed back in the direction of the buses, by his mark he still had some time left and he had no intentions of letting it go to waste, in even a small way. Aidou passed the fast food joint without a look back, but the next building along… It was still recognizable as a book store to him, despite being sad, decrepit, and past its prime.

Without warning, he suddenly veered towards the door. “I’ll see you later,” the noble repeated as he did so. He could make himself no clearer without stripping that veneer of politeness away from both of them.

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